Best things to See & Do in Galway, Top places to see & attractions (2024)

Top Attractions & things to do in Galway

When visiting Ireland many might be drawn to the nightlife, history and shopping offered by Dublin on the east coast. But Ireland’s west coast holds just as much fun and culture, but offers more natural beauty and value for money.

The medieval city of Galway is a whirlwind of activity with a wonderful selection of pubs, markets and modern art. The shops and restaurants run along a mile of original cobbled streets scattered with pretty churches, making the heart of the city easy to walk. Visit Galway market, open every Saturday, which has a wonderful variety of artisan food, a wide array of fine crafts and local art. Food is now a large part of the attraction for visitors to Galway, with countless great restaurants, with menus to satisfy the most diverse and exotic tastes. But if it’s a good old Irish craic you’re after, you won’t be disappointed as most pubs such as Taaffes on Shop Street has traditional music on most nights. With the Guinness flowing, it’s easy to dance the night away to the fantastic rhythms and beautiful voices.

It would be easy to snooze the day away in the spa, but Galway is surrounded by rich history and beautiful scenery that has to be explored. Connemara National Park is a must-see for nature lovers. With breathtaking views, it is situated in the heart of west Ireland near Letterfrack, and covers some 2,000 hectares of scenic mountains, heaths and grasslands.

With fine food and shopping, excellent entertainment and a fantastic choice between unwinding or touring the beautiful countryside that west Ireland has to offer, Galway really does have it all.

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Around Galway
City Attractions
Connemara
South East Galway
The Burren
The Cliffs of Moher
The Gaeltacht
The Islands
Unusual Galway Attractions

Aasleagh Falls

The Aasleagh Falls is a beautiful waterfall north of the village of Leenane and close to where the counties of Galway and Mayo meet. It is located on the Erriff...

Aasleagh, Co. Mayo

Around Galway, Connemara, Unusual Galway Attractions

Achill Island

Irelands largest offshore island is Achill with its golden beaches, unspoiled beauty and great island skies full of ever changing cloudscapes, continually caressing its peaks and valleys. Achill is joined...

Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland

The Islands

Adventure Activities

Book Now There are many adventure activities apart from walking and cycling along the Connemara Loop, some requiring more energy than others, these include abseiling, adventure activities like archery and...

Connemara, County Galway, Ireland

Connemara

Athenry Castle

Athenry Castle is one of the best castles in Galway to visit and an ideal place for visitors to start learning about the town's history. It is the starting point...

Athenry, Co. Galway

Around Galway, South East Galway

Aughnanure Castle

Aughnanure Castle was built in the 16th century by the O'Flaherty clan, and is renowned for its unusual double bawn. It lies in picturesque surroundings close to the shores of...

Aughnanure, Oughterard, Co. Galway, Ireland

Around Galway, Connemara

Ballycurrin Lighthouse

Built in 1772, Ballycurrin Lighthouse is situated on the eastern shore of Lough Corrib, at Ballycurrin Demesne, Headford, Co. Galway. This unusual lighthouse lies just inside County Mayo on the...

Ballycurrin Demesne, Ballycurrin, Co. Mayo

Around Galway, Unusual Galway Attractions

Ballyglunin Railway Station

Ballyglunin Railway Station is a heritage rail attraction near the village of Ballyglunin in east Galway. It was first built in 1860 and served as the town's main means of...

Station Road, Coolfowerbeg, Ballyglunin, Co. Galway, H54 D863

Around Galway, South East Galway, Unusual Galway Attractions

Ballyvaughan

The pretty village of Ballyvaughan lies on the coast of North Clare within sight of beautiful Galway Bay. Ballyvaughan was established as a small fishing community from the early 19th...

Battle of Aughrim Interpretative Centre

Battle of Aughrim Interpretative Centre is a heritage center that provides insight into the Battle of Aughrim on July 12, 1691, a significant moment of Irish history that cost 9,000...

Kinnaveelish, Co. Galway, Ireland

South East Galway

Bearna to Inverin Gaeltacht

From the village of Bearna (Barna) some four miles west of the vibrant city of Gaillimh (Galway) the road to the Conamara (Connemara) Gaeltacht hugs the shoreline of world famous...

Spiddal, Co. Galway, Ireland

The Gaeltacht

The vision at Brigit’s Garden is to connect people and nature. The Gardens are widely regarded as one of the most spectacular in Ireland, set within 11 acres of native...

Pollagh, Rosscahill, Co. Galway